Earlier today, Netflix offered up the full trailer for its new Ghost in the Shell adaptation: Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. This trailer is the first real chance for fans to get a glimpse of the new series since a single teaser image of the new Netflix series released back in June and a teaser trailer in October. Netflix was confirmed to have acquired the rights back in 2018, when it was announced that Shinji Aramaki would direct the series alongside Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex director Kenji Kamiyama. The two previously worked together on Netflix's Ultraman series last year.
Ghost in the Shell takes place in a cyberpunk world where humans have been integrated with machines so deeply that some, like franchise protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi, have been rebuilt entirely right down to their "cyberbrains." It is one of the most iconic franchises in all of anime, dating back to its original manga in 1989, and is best known for its 1995 film and the early 2000s TV series, Stand Alone Complex. The series Ghost in the Shell has been enormously influential for creators all over the world with some notable examples being The Wachowskis' Matrix movies and James Cameron's Avatar. Most recently, it received a series of prequel OVAs called Ghost in the Shell: Arise that culminated in a 2015 movie as well as an English language live-action version of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johannson back in 2017.
Netflix Asia released the first full trailer for the new series, which brings back the franchise's whole iconic cast of characters such as Kusanagi, Daisuke Aramaki, Batou, and the adorable tachikoma robots. The plot description that accompanied the trailer release reads as follows:
In the year 2045, the world has entered a systematic “Sustainable War.” Hired as a mercenary unit, the former members of Japan’s elite Section 9 are faced with the sudden appearance of “Post-Human,” a being with tremendous intelligence and physical capabilities.
The new addition to the franchise looks to be a sequel series that will take the franchise in an entirely new direction with Section 9 being brought in to assist with a war effort. Check out the new trailer for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 below:
The thing that will stand out to fans most immediately in this new trailer is the massive change in visual style. Ghost in the Shell has never utilized 3DCG animation before and judging by the 2:1 ratio of downvotes to upvotes on the trailer it seems like a change most fans weren't ready for. This is despite this new direction being revealed by Production I.G. (the longtime producers of Ghost in the Shell) back when the new series was announced.
The new direction makes sense, as it's keeping with the visual style that Netflix has sought out in several of its licensed anime series like Knights of Sidonia, Ajin:Demi-Human, and Ultraman. The change may be jarring for some but with franchise veterans like Kamiyama and Production I.G. at the helm, there is plenty to be optimistic about until Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 debuts this April.
Source: Netflix Asia